Axar.az presents an article “The Lesser Trumps” by John Samuel Tieman.

OK. You want a prediction. Here's a prediction. Vice President Harris will win the election. She'll sway just enough voters here, just enough there. Her popular vote will be more than enough to win. Her electoral vote will be just enough to win.

I'm not worried about votes. I'm worried about souls. I worry about former Pres. Trump, sure. But I really worry about the lesser Trumps and the supporters of the lesser Trumps. It's frightening how many gladly embrace racism, white Christian nationalism, xenophobia, violence and authoritarianism.

Lest my readers think me an alarmist, consider a recent survey. PRRI is a public opinion research organization. It explores America’s cultural and political landscape. In June, they surveyed 5,352 adults concerning the upcoming elections and the health of the republic. Their findings render in statistics my darkest suspicions.

Almost one in three Republicans, 29%, who view Trump favorably agree with the statement, “If Donald Trump is not confirmed as the winner of the 2024 election, he should declare the results invalid and do whatever it takes to assume his rightful place as president.” Over a quarter of all Republicans, 27%, say that true American patriots may have to resort to violence to save the country. Almost 7 out of 10 Republicans, 68%, feel that America has become “soft and feminine”.

Fully 60% of Republicans believe in the “Great Replacement Theory,” a conspiracy theory that Brown and Black immigrants are being imported to displace Whites. 73% are fine with Trump’s statement that undocumented immigrants are “poisoning the blood of our country.”

“God wants Christians to take control” of the “7 mountains” of society, religion, education, media, arts and entertainment, business, government, family. To this idea, 43% of Trump followers agree. Two-thirds of Republicans also agree that “the final battle between good and evil is upon us, and Christians should stand firm with the full armor of God.” Agreement rises to 76% among Americans who most trust conservative news sources. Consider the statement, “God intended America to be a new promised land where European Christians could create a society that could be an example to the rest of the world.” 52% of Republicans are OK with that. Most Republicans, 75%, think that The Founders of the United States intended it to be a Christian nation with Western European values.

Asked if “America’s best days are now behind us,” 67% of Republicans agree. “Because things have gotten so far off track in this country, we need a leader who is willing to break some rules if that’s what it takes to set things right.” Half of all the Republicans surveyed, 48%, think that's just fine.

There have been generations of slavery and discrimination against Blacks, and Native Americans, that have given whites unfair advantages, right? 65% of Republicans disagree.

Taken as a whole, perhaps half of my neighbors are comfortable with some aspect of racism, white Christian nationalism, xenophobia, violence and authoritarianism. I think Trump will lose the next election. But there remain an awful lot of lesser Trumps who are comfortable with selling their souls. In politics, the easiest thing is to exploit fear, ignorance, and anger. Hope is hard. Love is hard. Hope and love that guide policy and governance, that's hard. Selling your soul is easy.

I've been thinking about Mephistopheles and Dr. Faustus. I am fond of Christopher Marlowe. His is the play wherein Faustus sells his soul to the devil. There are a lot of variations upon this theme, perhaps the most famous being Goethe's “Faust”. In a variety of modern versions, Mephistopheles is a trickster. In the original, the devil gives you everything you want. You want to kiss Helen Of Troy, sure. What's that to Mephistopheles? But today's devil has learned from his mistakes. Today, the devil doesn't give everything to someone only to have that soul, as in Goethe's “Faust”, saved at the end. Now the devil takes a bit of your soul today, another bit tomorrow, another bit after that. By the time you realize what a terrible mistake you've made, Mephistopheles already owns 95% of your soul. And the MAGA Americans? You hate a little there, you hate a little there – it's just a bit of your soul, right? Give away a right here, give away a right there – just a bit of your soul here, just a bit of your soul there. You give away a bit of democracy, you give away a norm of governance, just a bit, just another bit. By the time you realize all you've given away, MAGA owns 95% of your soul.